


Turn the flame higher

by art_by_aray (araydre), Bill_Longbow



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Established Relationship, Fanart, Fluff, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22201138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/araydre/pseuds/art_by_aray, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow
Summary: Tony is a man of science. Bucky is a vampire. A match made in heaven?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 14
Kudos: 89





	Turn the flame higher

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MassiveSpaceWren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MassiveSpaceWren/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Wren!
> 
> The ficlet was inspired by Aray's gorgeous art and headcanon. Thank you to [ free2bemee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/free2bemee) for the last minute beta!

Tony looks at him expectantly, his hair askew from running his hands through it often and with different substances attached, if Bucky's not mistaken. His eyes have that manic glow that attracted Bucky in the first place, curious and excited instead of afraid. 

Bucky shifts his gaze to the cylinder from which a soft blue glow emanates, but he completely fails to grasp its significance.

"It's pretty," he hedges, voice lilting into a question in hopes to set off one of Tony's explanation rants. Bucky doesn't care about scientific discoveries, but he loves to watch Tony talk, can't get enough of it, really. 

"Isn't it, just?" Tony beams proud, and Bucky's pleased he said the right thing. 

"Look, with this dial you can change the brightness," Tony explains and makes the light brighter. "Soon we won’t have to use candles anymore! No more house fires because of it. Did you know the great fire of York was caused by a street lamp?" Tony shakes his head in disbelief.

Bucky frowns. "I thought you liked candles. Why would you have them otherwise?" Bucky is quite taken with their soft warm glow himself. 

Tony looks at him like Bucky just asked why the ocean makes you wet.

"To see?" Tony waves about himself. "So I can work and be with you when you're awake?"

Tony blinks at him. 

Bucky blinks back. 

"I can make light," Bucky states. Tony knows that, doesn't he? But the genius blinks again at Bucky, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. 

"How?" Tony asks, his gaze growing more sceptical. It morphs into surprise when Bucky holds up his hand and makes a flame dance on its palm. 

"Like this?" 

He points at the gas light that's turning weaker with the second, and makes the joyous little flame leap from his hand on top of it. "Or that."

"What did I just witness, James Buchanan?" Tony hisses, stepping closer and actually bending forward to study the flame. Bucky can't say he's opposed to this development, but he ruins it the next second. 

"Magic."

Tony rounds on him like a hawk on a mouse and Bucky almost, almost backs away. 

"There's no such thing," Tony states, or more precisely demands, his voice broking no argument. 

Now Bucky would do a lot for Tony Stark, some things even Tony doesn't know about, but he can't deny the nature of his very being. 

"Of course there is." Bucky conjures a new flame, but snuffs it when Tony looks... crestfallen?

He steps towards the genius,  _ his _ genius, and pulls him into a light hug. "Anthony, I'm a walking, talking corpse, how else did you think I was animated?" He asks gently. 

"You're not a corpse!" Tony shakes his head just as vigorously as the first time Bucky stated this. "Science just hasn't progressed far enough for us to understand yet," he adds, almost mulishly.

"Maybe this is advanced science as well?" 

Bucky knows they're okay when Tony finally hugs him back. 

"Maybe... Any more tricks you care to share?" Tony asks with his cheek against Bucky's collar. 

"A few," Bucky grins, easily lifting Tony off his feet, "but those are better suited in private."

***

"Do it again."

Later finds them sitting comfortably together in Tony's sitting room, Tony tucked onto Bucky's lap watching fascinated as Bucky makes flames of different shapes and sizes appear and vanish. 

"Can you change the colour too?"

Bucky shakes his head, but makes the flame reach higher. 

"Mine is blue," Tony grins, obviously pleased he invented something Bucky can't conjure. 

"Sure, but can it do this?" He lets a complicated helix twirl on his palm, and Tony slumps down again. 

"No. It can't. Not yet."

"Oh darling, if anyone can make it happen it'll be you." Bucky snuffs out the flame to look at his lover. 

"Only if I live long enough. Current scientific progress is going so slow." 

Bucky knows how much this frustrates Tony, how his mind seems centuries ahead of anyone else's. He would never offer this lightly, but he has never met anyone, before or after his rebirth he would rather spend eternity with. 

"You know there is a way..."

**Author's Note:**

> Come join us on the 16+ [ Stuckony discord server ](https://discord.gg/jtXcc3n) for all things Tony, Bucky and Steve!


End file.
